The Influence of bending rigidity on drape coefficient of selected light weight woven fabrics with seams

Abstract

Fabric drape which is a unique characteristic provides a sense of fullness and a graceful appearance that distinguishes fabrics from other sheet materials. It is an important component for a garment's aesthetic appearance and also plays a crucial role in garment comfort and determining the fit of clothing around the human figure. Draping haracteristics of fabrics has received major attention in fashion designing since designers have exploited the draping property of fabric in creating new styles in accordance with changing fashion trends. Though the drape is considered as a qualitative term assessed by human eye, it is important to have a realistic evaluation to understand not only the nature of drape with respect to the type of seams, number of seams and type of stitches but also the influence of other mechanical properties on drape. Thus the research focuses to explore the influence of bending rigidity which is one of the mechanical properties of fabrics on drape coefficient of selected light weight woven fabrics with seams. For the study, two main experiments; draping testing and bending testing were done. The outcome of the research will help to understand, evaluate, and give assurance of the appearance of the final garment. Moreover the result will shed more light on ways of using the drape behavior of fabrics with seams during the apparel designing and pattern construction process.